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Wenger’s Invincibiles not all that different to Chelsea

By on May 4, 2015

There’s more to titles than glitz and glamour, and, if anybody, Arsene Wenger should know that.  His “Invincibles” in 2004 didn’t waltz their way to the title; a fierce warrior in Patrick Viera rooted their midfield and Jens Lehmann protected the goal.  The Gunners had their fair share of scoreless draws and they were able to keep up their record forty-nine-match unbeaten streak largely due to their defense.

Pragmatic was a word that only half described that side.  Although Wenger reverted to more defensive football in times of need — hardly ever that year — he always kept his core values of possession rooted throughout the team.  It was embedded into his side, or at least the defensive capabilities were.  But the key was they had the versatility to switch between the two.

Chelsea now very much resemble that Arsenal side, although they have tended to lean more on the defensive aspect rather than the offense in the back half of the season.  Albeit with different values, the Arsenal of today also take after the Chelsea of the 2003/2004 season.  Both struggled with consistency, particularly with slow starts to their respective league campaigns.  Although Chelsea’s problem was originally scoring, before rampaging their way back up the table, and Arsenal’s was the defensive bit, they’re on track to both finish second.  

Arsenal now, and Chelsea then, were both missing the pragmatic touch and consistency that made their other sides so great.  So for Wenger to come out and, first of all, revert to the “boring, boring Chelsea” argument is to disregard what made his former team successful.  Perhaps, that is why Arsenal are not so successful today.

By claiming there is a morally inferior way to play football, Wenger is claiming there should be a “right” way to play as well.  Presumably, he’d then be playing it.  But there isn’t such a thing.  Not even data analysis can lead the sport to come up with a realistic “method” of playing football the right way, and successfully; because if it doesn’t win matches, it cannot be right the right method.  

So Wenger remains in the cult who believe there is a right way, but haven’t yet stumbled upon more than a vague, general term of “possession” football to describe it.  What’s clearer is that while Chelsea a might not be playing the most beautiful style of football, neither has it quite worked yet for Wenger.  In turn, he’s possibly sacrificing the bottom-line: results.  

On May 4, 2015, at 9:35 PM, Alex Morgan <alexosmorgan@gmail.com> wrote:


Is there a “right” way to play football, and does Wenger even know it?


There’s more to titles than glitz and glamour, and, if anybody, Arsene Wenger should know that.  His “Invincibles” in 2004 didn’t waltz their way to the title; a fierce warrior in Patrick Viera rooted their midfield and Jens Lehman protected the goal.  The Gunners had their fair share of scoreless draws and they were able to keep up their record forty-nine-match unbeaten streak largely due to their defense.


Pragmatic was a word that only half described that side.  Although Wenger reverted to more defensive football in times of need — hardly ever — he always kept his core values of possession rooted throughout the team.  It was entwined into his side, or the at least the defensive capabilities were.  But the key was they had the versatility to switch between the two.


Chelsea now very much resemble that Arsenal side, although they have tended to lean more on the defensive aspect rather than the offense.  Albeit with different values, the Arsenal of now also take after the Chelsea of the 2003/2004 season.  Both struggled with consistency, particularly with slow starts to their respective league campaigns.  Although Chelsea’s problem was originally scoring, before rampaging their way back up the table, and Arsenal’s was the defensive bit, they’re on track to both finish second.  


Arsenal now, and Chelsea then, were both missing the pragmatic touch and consistency that made their other sides so great.  So for Wenger to come out and, first of all, revert to the “boring, boring Chelsea” argument is to disregard what made his former team successful.  Perhaps, that is why Arsenal are not so successful today.


By claiming there is a morally wrong way to play football, Wenger is claiming there should be a “right” way to play as well.  Presumably, he’d then be playing it.  But there isn’t such a thing.  Not even data analysis can lead the sport to come up with a realistic “method” of playing football the right way, and successfully; because if it doesn’t win matches, it cannot be right the right method.  


So Wenger remains in the cult who believe there is a right way, but haven’t yet stumbled upon more than a vague, general term of “possession” football to describe it.  What’s clearer is that while Chelsea a might not be playing the most beautiful style of football, neither has it quite worked yet for Wenger.  In turn, he’s possibly sacrificing the bottom-line: results.  

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.